Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3707 March 16-30, 2018 | Page 29

SALTWATER
VOL.37 • ISS. 07
T
March 16 - 30, 2018
29
Mixed News for Sacramento and Klamath Salmon
Reported at CDFW Meeting
here is no doubt there will be ocean
and inland recreational fishing
seasons targeting Sacramento and Klamath
River fall Chinook salmon this season,
but the exact length and scope of those
seasons will be determined in upcoming
meetings at the Pacific Fishery
Management Council (PFMC)
and California Fish and Game
Commission.
Recreational and commercial
anglers attending the
California Department of
Fish and Wildlife’s Salmon
Information Meeting in Santa
Rosa on March 1 received
mixed news regarding the
status of Sacramento River fall
Chinook and Klamath River
fall Chinook stocks, the drivers
of the California and Southern
Oregon ocean salmon fisheries.
The adult returns of both
stocks were well below
minimum escapement goals in 2017, while
the projected abundance for both stocks
is modest compared to historic averages.
The data released on March 1 will help
to craft the ocean and in river salmon
seasons developed by the federal and state
governments this year.
The 2017 adult spawning escapement
of Sacramento River fall run Chinooks
was only 44,574 adults in 2017, reported
Vanessa Gusman, CDFW environmental
scientist.. This is well below the
conservation goal range of 122,000 to
180,000 fish. The fish included 27,039
hatchery fish and 17,535 natural origin
fish.
This is the second lowest return ever. In
2009, when the fishing industry was shut
down, the return was 40,873.
The 2017 Klamath Basin fall Chinook
run was the 5th lowest in 39 years of
records and 43 percent of the 39-year
average. All recreational ocean and in river
fishing for Klamath and Trinity River Fall
Chinooks was closed last year, due to the
projected low return.
The adult Chinook returns to the basin
were 173 percent of the projected forecast
— 18,410 versus 31,838 post.
“The adult fall Chinook natural
escapement conservation threshold of
40,700 was not managed for or met this
season,” said Wade Sinnen, CDFW
environmental scientist. “The geometric
mean of natural escapement for the past
three years is 19,358, below the minimum
stocks size threshold of 30,525.
The stock is now considered to be
in an “overfished” state, meaning that a
Conservation Plan must be developed to
recover the fishery.
On the positive side, the state and
federal fishery scientists reported an
increase in the number of jacks (two-year-
old Chinook) that returned to spawn in
2017 in both the Sacramento and Klamath-
Trinity river systems.
“Higher jack returns, as
seen in 2017, can indicate
the potential for increased
abundance of adult (three years
old or older) Chinook for 2018
fisheries,” said Harry Morse,
CDFW information officer.
The 2017 Sacramento River
jack counts were well above
normal. A total of 24,375
jacks returned to the Upper
Sacramento, Feather River and
American River Basins in 201.
Likewise, the number of
2-year-old grilse (also called
jacks and jills) in the Klamath
is 21,903, above the long term
average and a precursor for age
three abundance, said Sinnen.
The jack counts are employed to model
the ocean abundance forecasts for the year.
Forecasts by Michael O’Farrell of NOAA
Fisheries presented at the meeting suggest
there are 229,400 Sacramento River fall
Chinook adults and 359,200 Klamath River
fall Chinook adults in the ocean this year.
The Sacramento River fall Chinook
forecast is comparable to last year (down
slightly) but there are greater numbers of
Klamath River fall Chinook projected to
be swimming in the ocean this year. Fall
Chinook from these runs typically comprise
the majority of salmon taken in California’s
ocean and inland fisheries.
“The Sacramento Index forecast is nearly
identical to the 2017 forecast,” said Dr.
O’Farrell of the National Marine Fisheries
Servic e. “2018 management must target
an escapement of at least 122,000, a 46.8
percent exploitation rate.”
If the 2017 regulations were in place
now, it would provide for a preliminary
escapement prediction of 134,900. “This
stock is likely to constrain 2018 fisheries,”
said O’Farrell.
In addition to being subject to the
Sacramento Index, fishing for Sacramento
River stocks is also constrained by the
status winter run Chinook salmon, a species
listed under both the federal and state
Endangered Species Acts.
O’Farrell said there is a new “control
rule” for 2018. The abundance forecast is
1,594 and the maximum allowable age 3
impact is 14.4%. With the 2017 regulations
in place, there would be a preliminary
prediction of 12.6%.
As in previous years, this is likely to
constrain 2018 fisheries south of Point
WHAT’S HOT
SALTWATER
by
Dan Bacher
Arena on the
Mendocino
Coast. O’Farrell
stated.
The
Klamath ocean
abundance is
an estimated
333,049 age 3
fish, 28,415 age
4 and 767 age 5.
“The 2018
potential
spawner
abundance
forecast is
59,733,” said
O’Farrell. “The
Wade Sinnen, CDFW environmental scientist, speaks at the salmon fishery
2018 season
information meeting in Santa Rosa on March 1.
must target at
Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff.
escapement of
at least 40,700.”
This could constrain 2018 fisheries south circumstances, salmon fishing this year is
of Cape Falcon, Oregon.
going to be curtailed again.”
Why the low numbers in 2017? Morse
“It is not the fault of the fishermen,”
said the effects of the recent drought
Pool emphasized. “The problems are the
are still impacting California’s salmon
low survival of the juveniles in the rivers
populations. “Outbound juvenile Chinook
and in the Delta. There are solutions and
suffered unusually high mortality because
the State and Federal Governments need
of low flows and high water temperatures
to step up and fix them while it is sti